She didn't mean to
by KNDnumbuh678
Summary: DW discovers Mr. Ratburn looking at something. She asks some questions and then thinks she shouldn't have. Read and see why. (Warning: may cause crying)
**Hi everyone. I don't know why I thought of this but...no that's about it I have no clue why this popped into my head. I haven't watched Arthur in about four years. Well anyways this came up in my mind yesterday so now I'm writing it down. Let me know what you think of it. This is during the episode when Mr. Ratburn's roof fell in and went to stay with the Read family.**

It was Friday evening and DW was sitting in her room playing with her pony dolls. She could hear Arthur's teacher Mr. Ratburn in the other room where he was staying until his home was fixed. She saw him grab a small book and sit down on his cot. He flipped through the pages of the book slowly and seemed to become more and more sad as he looked on. Curious DW set down her toys and quietly walked into the next room. She looked at the man her brother had always painted to be mean but was really nice. She got closer and saw that the book was a photo album. Mr. Ratburn was stopped on an old photo of himself and another man both in tuxedos and holding hands in front of a small church.

"Who's the man in the picture with you?" DW asked startling the man who hadn't noticed her. He took a deep breathe and motioned the girl to sit beside him. DW complied sitting next to the teacher.

"I'm sorry Mr. Ratburn I didn't mean to scare you." DW said with a guilty look. The older man shook his head.

"It's alright DW don't worry about it. I was just looking at some old memories." The last part of his words sounded distant and sad. DW was even more curious and looked at the picture still in front of them.

"So who is he?" Mr. Ratburn seemed confused so DW pointed at the man with Ratburn in the photo. He was a rabbit man and was rather handsome. The two looked really happy standing together.

"Oh right, that's Jason." DW looked at the man confused. She didn't know who Jason was or why he was with her brother's teacher.

"Are you two friends? You look really happy here." Mr. Ratburn sighed looking at the picture. The memory flashed in his mind and tears began to well in his eyes.

"We were more that friends DW. Jason...was my husband. This photo is from our wedding six years ago." DW looked surprised, she didn't know that Ratburn was married.

"If that's your husband then where is he? How come he isn't with you?" A lump caught in ratburn's throat but he tried to hide it.

"Jason...is gone now DW. He's been gone for three years." DW could see Ratburn starting to lose his cool. Did this Jason guy leaving really mean that much to him?

"Where did he go? Did he move away?" Ratburn shook his head doing his best not to let the tears run down his face.

"No DW he didn't move he..." DW was shocked when Mr. Ratburn set down the book and started sniffling. Did she say something wrong?

"I'm sorry you don't have to tell me if it makes you this upset. I didn't mean to make you feel bad I swear." Ratburn looked over to the child and took deep breaths trying to calm himself down.

"It's fine DW. Jason...he went to heaven." DW suddenly realized why Ratburn was crying. She looked at the man who'd stood up to grab some tissues. DW may have been only five, but she understood that gone to heaven meant that the person was dead. She felt bad because she thought her questions were what had made him remember and what made him sad.

DW picked up the book from the floor and looked at the picture again. She turned the page to another picture of the two kissing. The one next to it was of them in front of a wedding cake sharing a piece. DW smiled thinking how happy they looked in the pictures. These don't seem like memories that would make a person cry. Suddenly DW thought of something she'd never understood.

"If he was your husband and you two got married, how come you don't have kids?" Ratburn turned around to look at the girl. He'd never really opened up about his life with others. DW seemed to make him talk and he couldn't figure out why.

"Well it's because when we were married there was a law in place that said two men weren't allowed to have children together. Since then the law has been taken away, but Jason passed on before then." DW nodded looking at the pictures.

"If you could have had a family, would you?" Ratburn seemed surprised but smiled a bit at the girl.

"Yes I think we would have. Since two men can't have children on their own we would have probably adopted." DW was confused again.

"Adopted? What does that mean?" Ratburn laughed and took the book from DW putting it back in his bag.

"Adoption is when two people find a baby or child that don't have parents and they become the little one's parents." DW nodded.

"What was Jason like? Was he nice?" Ratburn sighed looking of into space.

"Yes, Jason was very nice. I loved he more than anything. I still love him. He always knew how to make me laugh and could get me to smile no matter how upset I was at the time. He was special to me and always will be." DW frowned and stood up walking over to the older man and hugging him around his waist since it was the highest she could reach.

"I'm sure you made him happy to. And I bet if you did have a kid that you would have made a great daddy." Ratburn froze for a moment before smiling softly and patting the little girl's head.

"Thank you DW." DW grinned happy that she'd made the man feel better.

"Everyone it's time for dinner." Mrs. Read called from downstairs. The two shared a look and smiled together walking downstairs both feeling a bit lighter.

 **The end. Holy crap I actually managed to make myself cry writing this. Hope you guys like it. Let me know what you thought.**


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